The disclosure of financial forward-looking information

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 140-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco Bravo ◽  
Maria Dolores Alcaide-Ruiz
Keyword(s):  
Voluntary Disclosure ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Personal Attributes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Female Directors ◽  
Financial Expertise ◽  
S 100 ◽  
Accounting Expertise ◽  
Forward Looking

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the association between the financial expertise (accounting and non-accounting) of female directors in the audit committee and the voluntary disclosure of financial forward-looking information.Design/methodology/approachThe sample is composed of companies belonging to the Standard and Poor`s 100 Index in 2016. Content analysis techniques are used to analyze both information disclosed in annual reports and the financial expertise of female directors.FindingsThe results fail to find an association between the presence of women in the audit committee and the disclosure of financial forward-looking information. However, the disclosure of this information is associated with the presence of female audit committee members with financial expertise, especially accounting expertise.Research implicationsThe academic implications are related with the need for a consideration of the personal attributes of female directors to understand their role in the boardroom or on subcommittees.Practical implicationsGiven the importance of financial forward-looking information in the capital markets, these findings will also help policymakers and managers to implement effective corporate governance structures and will have significant implications for the selection of female audit committee members.Originality/valueThis paper is the first to examine whether the specific expertise of female directors, beyond mere gender, makes a difference in financial forward-looking disclosure strategies.

Audit committee accounting expertise and forward-looking disclosures

2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 166-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Abad ◽  
Francisco Bravo
Keyword(s):  
Voluntary Disclosure ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Securities And Exchange Commission ◽  
Audit Committees ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Accounting Expertise ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Forward Looking

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine how the accounting expertise of audit committee members is associated with the disclosure of forward-looking information. Design/methodology/approach Manual content analysis is used to analyze forward-looking information disclosed in annual reports as well as gather data about the accounting expertise of directors. Regression analysis is performed to study the association between the disclosure variables and the accounting expertise of audit committee members. Findings The results show that the accounting expertise of audit committee members is associated with forward-looking disclosure practices, particularly with information of a financial and strategic nature. Practical implications The evidence has direct implications for companies in the selection of directors, as stakeholders may demand nomination committees to appoint audit committees with the accounting experts. They may also request regulatory actions regarding the structure of the audit committee, as these add to the evidence on the benefits of selecting such experts. Social implications The evidence on the role of accounting expertise could also help the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to narrow the definition of financial expertise to specifically consider accounting expertise, as is already happening in the EU context. Originality/value This paper extends prior research on corporate governance and voluntary disclosure by showing the association between the company having at least one accounting expert in the audit committee and the level of disclosure of value-relevant information.

The effect of audit committee characteristics on forward-looking disclosure

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamad Rifai ◽  
Sylvia Veronica Siregar
Keyword(s):  
Audit Committee ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ordinary Least Square ◽  
Financial Firms ◽  
Financial Expertise ◽  
Ordinary Least Square Regression ◽  
Accounting Expertise ◽  
Forward Looking

Purpose This study aims to examine the effect of the audit committee characteristics on forward-looking disclosure. Design/methodology/approach The characteristics of audit committee that examined are audit committee expertise, audit committee meeting frequency and audit committee size. To measure the extent of forward-looking disclosure, this study did content analysis using a checklist of 22 forward-looking items. The samples of this research are 285 non-financial firms listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in the year 2015. Ordinary least square regression is used for hypotheses testing. Findings The results of this study show that the audit committee accounting expertise, audit committee financial expertise, the frequency of audit committee meetings and the size of the audit committee have a significant positive effect on the forward-looking disclosure. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study examining the audit committee characteristics on forward-looking disclosure in the context of Indonesia, one of the emerging markets.

The association between disclosure of forward-looking information and corporate governance mechanisms

2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 578-595 ◽  
Author(s):  
Basil Al-Najjar ◽  
Suzan Abed
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Governance Mechanisms ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Governance Mechanisms ◽  
Computerized Content Analysis ◽  
Forward Looking

Purpose – This paper aims to witness the importance of corporate governance mechanisms and investigates the relationship between the quality of disclosure of forward-looking information in the narrative sections of annual reports and the governance mechanisms for non-financial UK companies. Design/methodology/approach – Computerized content analysis using QSR NVivo 8 is used to measure the extent of forward-looking information in the narratives of the annual reports for 238 companies listed in the London Stock Exchange. Cross-sectional regression analysis is used to examine the impact of the corporate governance mechanisms on forward-looking information. Findings – The results show that board size and the independence of the audit committee are associated with the level of voluntary disclosure of forward-looking information. Research limitations/implication – One limitation of this study is that in controls for the effect of the financial crisis period, by selecting a representative year for a five-year period, 2006. The authors argument in using this year is based on the fact that the main variables of interest do not vary significantly with time, the cross-sectional analysis of the selected period will provide a fair view of the last five year-period. Practical implications – The authors report the importance of some governance practices in the UK, such as the role of the board members as well as the importance of audit committee independence. Originality/value – This paper contributes to the literature by using computerized content analysis to examine the relation between corporate governance mechanism and disclosure quality of forward-looking information using sample of companies before financial crisis period. The authors also examine governance mechanisms that are under-researched in the field of forward-looking disclosure.

Corporate governance and compliance with AAOIFI governance standards by Islamic banks

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 891-918
Author(s):  
Yosra Mnif ◽  
Marwa Tahari
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Financial Institutions ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Islamic Banks ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Disclosure Requirements ◽  
Financial Expertise ◽  
Islamic Financial Institutions ◽  
Research Stage

Purpose This study aims to examine the effect of the main corporate governance characteristics on compliance with accounting and auditing organisation for Islamic financial institutions’ (AAOIFI) governance standards’ (GSs) disclosure requirements by Islamic banks (IB) that adopt AAOIFIs’ standards in Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, Oman, Syria, Sudan, Palestine and Yemen. Design/methodology/approach The sample consists of 486 bank-year observations from 2009 to 2017. Findings The findings reveal that compliance with AAOIFIs’ GSs’ disclosure requirements is positively influenced by the audit committee (AC) independence, AC’s accounting and financial expertise and industry expertise, auditor industry specialisation, IB’s size and IB’s listing status. On the other hand, it is negatively influenced by the ownership concentration. Research limitations/implications This study has only examined compliance with AAOIFI’s GSs’ disclosure requirements and has focussed on one major sector of the Islamic financial institutions (which is IB). Practical implications The findings are useful for various groups of preparers and users of IBs’ annual reports such as academics and researchers, accountants, management of IBs and some organisations. Originality/value While the study of the AAOIFIs’ standards has grown contemporary with considerable contributions from scholars, however, the majority of these studies are descriptive in nature. Indeed, the existing literature that has explored the determinants of compliance with AAOIFI’s standards is in the early research stage. To the best of the knowledge, there is a paucity of empirical research testing this issue.

scholarly journals Governance structures, voluntary disclosures and public accountability

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Collins G. Ntim ◽  
Teerooven Soobaroyen ◽  
Martin J. Broad
Keyword(s):  
Shared Leadership ◽  
Voluntary Disclosure ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Resource Dependence ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Governance Structures ◽  
Public Accountability ◽  
Voluntary Disclosures ◽  
Board Diversity ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent of voluntary disclosures in UK higher education institutions’ (HEIs) annual reports and examine whether internal governance structures influence disclosure in the period following major reform and funding constraints. Design/methodology/approach The authors adopt a modified version of Coy and Dixon’s (2004) public accountability index, referred to in this paper as a public accountability and transparency index (PATI), to measure the extent of voluntary disclosures in 130 UK HEIs’ annual reports. Informed by a multi-theoretical framework drawn from public accountability, legitimacy, resource dependence and stakeholder perspectives, the authors propose that the characteristics of governing and executive structures in UK universities influence the extent of their voluntary disclosures. Findings The authors find a large degree of variability in the level of voluntary disclosures by universities and an overall relatively low level of PATI (44 per cent), particularly with regards to the disclosure of teaching/research outcomes. The authors also find that audit committee quality, governing board diversity, governor independence and the presence of a governance committee are associated with the level of disclosure. Finally, the authors find that the interaction between executive team characteristics and governance variables enhances the level of voluntary disclosures, thereby providing support for the continued relevance of a “shared” leadership in the HEIs’ sector towards enhancing accountability and transparency in HEIs. Research limitations/implications In spite of significant funding cuts, regulatory reforms and competitive challenges, the level of voluntary disclosure by UK HEIs remains low. Whilst the role of selected governance mechanisms and “shared leadership” in improving disclosure, is asserted, the varying level and selective basis of the disclosures across the surveyed HEIs suggest that the public accountability motive is weaker relative to the other motives underpinned by stakeholder, legitimacy and resource dependence perspectives. Originality/value This is the first study which explores the association between HEI governance structures, managerial characteristics and the level of disclosure in UK HEIs.

scholarly journals Board structure and supplementary commentary on the primary financial statements

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 273-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Venancio Tauringana ◽  
Musa Mangena
Keyword(s):  
Impression Management ◽  
Voluntary Disclosure ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Balance Sheet ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Board Structure ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between the extent and focus of supplementary narrative commentary (SNC) on amounts reported in the primary financial statements and board structure variables. Design/methodology/approach – The study uses the disclosure index methodology to measure the extent of SNC in annual reports of 167 FTSE 250 companies. Ordinary least squares regression analysis is employed to examine the association between the extent and focus of SNC and board structure variables. Findings – The findings show that the extent of SNC on amounts reported in the primary financial statements is about 30 per cent, suggesting that companies provide commentary on a small number of amounts reported in the financial statements. In terms of focus of SNC, companies provide greater SNC on amounts in the income statement relative to the balance sheet. The regression results indicate that the extent of SNC is negatively associated with board size, and positively associated with audit committee (AC) independence and financial expertise. Focus of SNC is negatively related to AC independence and finance expertise. Originality/value – The research contributes to both the voluntary disclosure and impression management literature streams. The findings provide evidence of the extent and focus of SNC on amounts in the financial statements. They also demonstrate that board structure variables are related to the extent and focus of SNC on amounts in primary financial statements. These findings have implications for policy makers who have responsibilities for ensuring that users of annual reports receive adequate information to make decisions.

The impact of audit committee effectiveness on audit fees and non-audit service fees

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 174-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Jahangir Ali ◽  
Rajbans Kaur Shingara Singh ◽  
Mahmoud Al-Akra
Keyword(s):  
Audit Committee ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Audit Fees ◽  
Audit Committees ◽  
Regulatory Requirements ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Financial Expertise ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Accounting Expertise ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of audit committee effectiveness on audit fees and non-audit service (NAS) fees in a less regulatory environment. Design/methodology/approach The authors construct a composite audit committee effectiveness measure incorporating audit committee independence, diligence, size, financial expertise and the chairperson’s accounting expertise. Findings The authors find that audit committee effectiveness has a positive significant impact on both audit fees and NAS fees. This suggests that effective audit committees can hold auditors accountable resulting in better audit quality and consequently higher audit fees. Originality/value The link between more effective audit committees with higher NAS purchases can be explained in light of the difference in regulatory requirements providing audit committees with decision rights on the use of NASs, therefore approving more NAS and increasing NASF. Additional tests and robustness analyses confirm the results.

scholarly journals Audit Committee Financial Expertise and Financial Reporting Timeliness in Emerging Market: Does Audit Committee Chair Matter?

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 63
Author(s):  
Saeed Rabea Baatwah ◽  
Norsiah Ahmad ◽  
Zalailah Salleh
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Financial Reporting Quality ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Committee Chair ◽  
Financial Expertise ◽  
Accounting Expertise

This study examines whether audit committee chair with financial expertise enhances the audit committee role in financial reporting quality in emerging market. We investigate this influence by employing the direct effect and moderating effect of audit committee chair with financial expertise on financial reporting timeliness. By using Omani data and the panel data method for two proxies for financial reporting timeliness, we find that audit committee chair with financial expertise enhances the timeliness of financial reporting through making the disclosure of annual reports timely. Further, we report evidence showing that both accounting and nonaccounting financial expertise on the audit committee have a positive and significant influence on the timeliness of financial reporting. We also document that the association between financial expertise and the timeliness of financial reporting is more pronounced when the chair of the audit committee has accounting expertise. This study is among the comprehensive evidence prove that audit committee chair with accounting expertise contributes to the quality of financial reporting in emerging market.

Corporate governance and voluntary disclosure: evidence from India

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rupjyoti Saha ◽  
Kailash Chandra Kabra
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Voluntary Disclosure ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Corporate Board ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Significant Positive Influence

Purpose This study aims to examine the influence of some prominent corporate governance (CG) mechanisms such as board size (BS), board independence (BI), role duality (RD), board’s gender diversity (GD), ownership concentration (OC), audit committee independence (ACI), nomination and remuneration committee (NRC) and risk management committee (RMC) on voluntary disclosure (VD), as well as different types of VD after controlling the effect of some firm-specific factors for Indian firms. Design/methodology/approach The study selects market capitalization-based top 100 non-financial and non-utility firms listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange as on 31st March 2014. Data are drawn from the Capitaline Plus database over the period of 2014–2018. Appropriate panel data regression model is applied to examine the influence of CG on VD. Findings The study reveals a significant negative influence of BI on VD while GD and RMC exhibit a significant positive influence on the same. The remaining CG mechanisms such as BS, RD, OC, ACI and NRC appear to have no significant influence on VD. Analysis into the relationship between CG mechanisms and different types of VD reveals that BI, in particular, has a strong negative influence on corporate strategic disclosure (CSD) and forward looking disclosure (FWLD) while GD and RMC both exhibit a significant positive influence on CSD, FWLD, CG disclosure and financial and capital market disclosure. Notably, none of the CG mechanisms under consideration influence human and intellectual capital disclosure. Research limitations/implications The study considers annual reports as the only medium of making VD and ignores all other sources such as websites and press releases. Besides, it mainly emphasizes on corporate board structure, board committees and OC while other ownership structure-related variables family ownership, managerial ownership are not covered, which can be analysed in future studies. Practical implications The study offers some important theoretical, as well as practical connotations for regulators and practitioners operating in India, as well as other emerging economies having similar institutional settings. Originality/value The study is the first of its kind in India that examines the influence of various CG mechanisms on different types of VD and thereby contributes novel findings in the context of an emerging economy.

scholarly journals Corporate governance and the timeliness of audited financial statements

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 473-501
Author(s):  
David Mutua Mathuva ◽  
Venancio Tauringana ◽  
Fredrick J. Otieno Owino
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Annual Report ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Board Diversity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Reporting ◽  
Financial Expertise

Purpose The nature of corporate governance (CG) mechanisms in an entity may influence the timeliness of the audited annual report. The purpose of this paper is to argue that the “quality” of CG in a firm has a significant association with the time it takes the audited annual report and financial statements to be released. Design/methodology/approach Using a set of 543 firm-year observations over the period 2007–2016, the authors examine whether a validated CG-Index is associated with audit report delay (ARD). The authors employ both granular as well as aggregated approaches to the analyses. In addition, the authors include control variables known to have an association with ARD in the panel data regressions. Findings The findings, which are robust for self-selection among other checks, reveal that financial expertise in the audit committee, board size, board meetings and independence in the board are associated with longer ARDs. Some CG attributes such as board diversity (i.e. women and different nationalities in the board) are associated with improved timeliness of the annual reports. The results also reveal that a longer tenure for independent directors in the board is associated with a shorter ARD. Overall, the authors find that the composite CG score has a positive influence on the timeliness of annual reports. Research limitations/implications The study focuses on listed companies in one developing country. Additional studies focusing on other jurisdictions could yield more results. Practical implications The study is useful in highlighting those CG characteristics firms should focus on toward the attainment of timely corporate reporting to aid in decision making by users. Originality/value The study is unique since it emphasizes the importance of focusing on an aggregate CG-Index, and the contribution of the CG-Index toward the timeliness of annual reports.

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